Winter Garden, County Agree On Service Area

July 30, 1986|By Valerie Anderson of The Sentinel Staff

WINTER GARDEN — The city and Orange County have agreed on joint planning to guide growth in Winter Garden's urban reserve area for the next five years. Under the agreement signed last week, the two governments will coordinate land-use plans and work out arrangements for utilities such as water and sewer and other municipal services.

The reserve area boundaries run north to Lake Apopka and a half-mile north of Fullers Cross Road, south to a half-mile south of Florida's Turnpike, east to East Crown Point, Wofford and Windermere roads and west to about a half- mile west of State Road 535.

In other business, the commission denied a request from the West Orange Memorial Hospital Tax District to waive or reduce the water and sewer impact fees for the expansion of its nursing home, West Orange Manor.

Because the home is non-profit, the trustees thought Winter Garden would lower or nullify its charges. The home must pay $73,000 in fees. But according to its figures, which were based on current water use at the home, the cost should not exceed $55,000, said Joe Murray, manor administrator.

''We thought your numbers were on the high side for what we anticipate to happen,'' he told the commission. City officials said granting the hospital's request could set a bad precedent. Mayor Bob Barber said he thought the charges were justified.

The commission also learned that work should begin in the next two weeks on the first of two softball fields in the new 13-acre city park off Park Avenue. Construction should be finished in about six weeks. Orlacon General Inc. of Orlando was awarded the contract for $48,710.